This first memo in our Building Pathways to Success series explores the current status of work-based learning (WBL) in Tennessee. This foundational knowledge shows us the strength of defining what constitutes a WBL experience but also highlights where Tennessee is falling short in assessing the impact of these experiences on future learning and future career pursuits.

This memo provides:

An overview of the work-based learning landscape in Tennessee today, from definitions that help define what constitutes a strong WBL opportunity to top enrolled work-based learning courses and partners.
The information we do not yet know about work-based learning in Tennessee and how that lack of knowledge hinders the questions we can answer. Specifically, we look at two areas that make it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of programs. First, the current systems for collecting and reporting data are inadequate. Second, a lack of access to data related to the outcomes of work-based learning.
Three key actions Tennessee can take to better understand the current state of work-based learning.

Continue learning about the barriers to work-based learning and SCORE’s recommendations for future WBL initiatives through the remaining memos in this series.